


In Honor Of Or Ode To

by TwoQuills



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoQuills/pseuds/TwoQuills
Summary: A regular hunt turns into something quite different when the boys meet Reese, a MA2 dealing with a rash of suicides on a Naval base with a decidedly supernatural tilt.This is in SCRIPT format. I apologize for the bad formatting.





	In Honor Of Or Ode To

“IN HONOR OF OR ODE TO”

TEASER  
EXT. NAVAL BASE NORFOLK – NIGHT

EXT. BARRACKS 

A red hatchback pulls into a parking spot, two women inside. 

INT. CAR

WASHINGTON  
(She’s been crying)  
I don’t know if I can do this. 

LOWEN  
Mary, we have to. You promised. 

WASHINGTON  
What if…what if we…go to hell? 

LOWEN  
We’ll be together. 

WASHINGTON  
(Kisses Lowen)  
I—I can’t. I’m sorry. (Gets out of the car and runs away) 

LOWEN  
(Gets out of the car) Mary! Mary! (Starts to cry, leans against the car)

INT. BARRACKS ROOM.  
It’s a small room, tidy, but old. The carpet is blue and coming undone and there is generic sea-centric art on the walls. A double bed is against one wall, a cathode-ray tube television on a stained dresser against the other wall. There is a shared bathroom and a mirrored closet. Lowen throws her keys onto the bed and goes to the mirror, looking at herself in it. For a moment, her image seems to waver, like there’s a shadow behind her, there is a whispering sound and Lowen punches the mirror. It spider webs and her fist begins to bleed. She sits on the bed and covers her face with her hands. 

GHOST’S VOICE  
Everyone leaves you. Mom. Dad. Even Mary. 

LOWEN  
Shut up. Just…they’re wrong. They’re all wrong. It’s not me, it’s not…

GHOST  
(Lowen’s body seems to quiver and then split, a second Lowen sitting back to back with her. The second Lowen looks over her shoulder) They are, we know that. But they still left you. Remember what Dad called you? 

LOWEN  
A freak…

LOWEN  
Just because we know it’s not wrong, it won’t keep them from leaving. Won’t keep everyone from leaving us just like we knew they would. 

LOWEN  
I’m sorry… (She reaches into the bedside table and gets a handgun) 

GHOST  
Maybe it’s time that we just…gave up. Maybe it’s better this way. 

LOWEN  
Mary…Mary was supposed to be here. She promised me…

GHOST  
Mary doesn’t love you. (Lowen cries harder, the ghost puts her hand on Lowen’s shoulder) It was always going to end like this for us. You know that. There’s no other way. Maybe now they’ll just remember the little girl, how happy we were.

LOWEN  
(Crying) I’m so sorry mama…please forgive me.

GHOST  
I forgive you. 

End of Teaser

Act One

EMPTY HIGHWAY, PRESENT

EXT. OF IMPALA-NIGHT  
The highway is empty, the Impala is a single, sleek shape on a black strip otherwise deserted, dense foliage on either sides, her headlights sending deer leaping through the trees. 

INT. IMPALA

Dean is driving, the radio low, Sam’s computer backlight the only thing lighting the interior of the car, he is furiously typing away, he is pinching his nose, nursing a headache and sipping coffee. Dean looks annoyed, even behind the wheel.

DEAN  
Tell me again why we’re driving all the way  
out to Virginia instead of looking for Mom?

SAM  
(Sighing)  
Because we’ve been looking for Mom all  
summer and we need a break. We’ve tried everything and if we don’t unwind we’re  
gonna go crazy. 

DEAN  
Unwind. And to you unwinding means looking into a bunch of suicides?  
Sam gives up on his computer and puts it on the seat beside him. 

SAM  
You know, some people fish, some people  
golf, we…hunt. So yeah, unwind.

DEAN  
Alright, give me the deets. 

SAM  
Deets? 

DEAN  
What? It’s a thing people say. I heard it on TV. 

SAM  
On what? Gilmore Girls? 

DEAN  
Shut up. 

SAM  
(Reopening computer)Alright, six suicides, all within a three week period, all on Norfolk Naval Base. First one was [DATE], a—Petty Officer Kennedy, last one—four days ago, Lisa Washington, civilian.

DEAN  
Dead President’s club. Alright, so, six people in three weeks, it’s weird, but is it our weird. Suicide’s like, a trigger, or something right? Like people are more likely to do it if someone else does recently? (Sam looks impressed) What? I read.

SAM  
You’re right, and that was what I thought at first, but six? I don’t think so. Two of them, uh—Trish Lowen and Lisa Washington—the MAs, Military Police

DEAN  
Dude

SAM  
Just making sure. They’re calling it a suicide pact. But the other four are completely unrelated. No connection. (Closes computer) 

DEAN  
Okay, we go, we put eyes on, maybe hit up a few O-Clubs, but after this, no more cases until we find Mom. 

SAM  
Deal. (A long silence) It’s Virginia. 

DEAN  
And?

SAM  
We’ve never been to Virginia

DEAN  
Sure we have. 

SAM  
Nope.

DEAN  
Seriously? Not even with Dad? Wow. Maybe we should stick around afterwards. See the sights or whatever. 

The Impala roars along the road and silence falls between the brothers, maybe they’re thinking about their dad. Maybe they’re wondering how the heck they’ve never been to Virginia. Suddenly a big, blue sign brightens in the headlights with a cardinal on it, cheerfully welcoming them to the very state they’d been discussing, it reads:  
Welcome! Virginia is for Lovers Only the “o” is a little red heart. 

DEAN  
You know what? Never mind.

INT MILITARY POLICE HQ – NEXT MORNING FRONT DESK  
Sam and Dean are confronted by a particularly unwelcoming mustachioed MA2 and a slightly more welcoming female MA3. The boys are wearing the quintessential cheap suits and the MA2 is eyeing Sam’s hair. They flash their badges proclaiming Dean Agent Mark Harmon and Sam Agent Michael Weatherly. 

MA2  
Aren’t those…

SAM  
No relation. We’re here looking for information about the Washington suicide? (He slides the unfortunate badge away) We’d like to speak to whoever is in charge of the investigation, please. (Dean is eyeing an attractive, uniformed woman who is very not interested at a desk a few feet away. Sam elbows him) 

MA2  
We’ve already had NCIS here, Agent Weatherly.

SAM  
We’re aware. We’re with oversight, we’d like to speak to them anyway. 

MA2  
I’m going to have to speak to my supervisor, wait here, please. (Leaves)

SAM  
(To Dean) Will you cut it out? 

DEAN  
What? Chicks in uniform are my kryptonite, you know that. 

SAM  
Chicks in uniform, waitresses, teachers, librarians, Dean, chicks are your kryptonite. We’re on a military base pretending to be NCIS. That is a federal crime. If they figure us out they’ll throw us in military prison and in case you forgot, we don’t have anyone left to bail us out!

DEAN  
Alright, jeeze, man, sorry. 

MA2 returns, slide back front desk barrier. 

MA2  
Follow me. (They walk through the station to the back, meeting MA1 Lash)

DEAN  
Agent Harmon, this is Agent Weatherly. 

LASH  
(Suspicious of the names) MA1 Lash. You want to talk about Washington? I thought we put that one to bed. 

DEAN  
Yeah, well, we’ve got a few follow ups. You know us at the—Service. Always ‘crossin’ the i’s and dottin’ the t’s. 

LASH  
(Retrieves the file) Alright, Washington, twenty-two, girlfriend of the previous suicide, part of a pact but temporarily got cold feet. Lowen’s note was recovered in her rack when we retrieved her body. (He slides the picture of a bloated corpse to Sam) No history of depression, spotless military record, nothing in her record before she joined, it’s like these girls just woke up one morning and decided that life wasn’t worth living. She was reported missing Monday when she didn’t show up for watch and her body was recovered about three miles out of port by SAR swimmers forty-eight hours later. It’s a shame that no one knew about the relationship between her and Lowen, she’d’ve been on suicide watch and then this whole thing could’ve been avoided. 

DEAN  
Might wanna think about repealing that whole don’t ask don’t tell thing, after this, am I right? 

SAM  
(Wincing) Sorry about him, he’s—new. Actually, he’s still in training. 

LASH  
Don’t ask don’t tell was repeated in 2011, Agent Harmon. 

DEAN  
Oh, yeah, right—I guess I haven’t gotten to that part in my—training. So, uh—secret relationship. 

LASH  
Anyway, all of the information is here, we’ve already turned it over NCIS. It’s fairly open-and-shut. It’s sad, but it was clearly suicide. I don’t know what you’re looking for.

DEAN  
Like I said.

LASH  
I’s and t’s. We get a few of these every year, I wish I could say this was an isolated incident, but this is a high-stress environment. 

SAM  
But six in three weeks? That’s got to be out of the ordinary. Have you found any connection? Or—have you ever seen anything like this before? 

LASH  
Seven. Don’t you people talk to each other? NCIS just left five hours ago. When I saw you I thought you were coming back for a second run around. No offense, what you’re doing to Chief, it’s bullshit. 

DEAN  
We just—flew in from Djibouti, so, you know—no service. Mind filling us in? 

LASH  
O’Brian. Last night. She’s—one of ours. (Looking back, he indicates an empty desk) And now the CO and NCIS want to say it’s our fault, that we should’ve done more to prevent it, or, I don’t know—seen it coming. Look, O’Brian’s a good MA, but she—had problems. And now they want to hem Chief up because she went home and had one too many and—you know. 

SAM  
And she committed suicide? 

LASH  
Attempted. They’ve got her over at Portsmouth. She’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’s gonna make it. (Sam and Dean exchange a look) Lemme guess, you’re gonna want to go and see her now too. 

SAM  
If it’s not too... 

LASH  
(Shortly) I’ll send an escort to meet you.

INT. PORTSMOUTH NAVAL HOSPITAL (HEREAFTER PNMC)

INT. LOBBY  
Portsmouth Naval Hospital is a monolith of modern Navy medicine. It’s marble and glass, a beehive of activity, men and women in uniform and white coats, nurses and service members weaving in and out along with civilians and lab techs. Sam is reflexively clutching his satchel and Dean is rocking back and forth on his heels like a bored five year old. 

DEAN  
I hate hospitals. 

A woman in uniform approaches them and Sam perks up, glancing back at Dean who shows some interest, shooting Sam his ‘not bad’ look. Her camouflaged uniform proclaims her ‘Reese’ and her short haircut proclaims her ‘no-nonsense,’ but there’s a shrewd, yet amused look in her eye that is immediately appealing. 

REESE  
Agents Weatherly and Harmon? Like on NCIS?

DEAN  
Does everyone in the Navy watch that show? 

REESE  
You wouldn’t think so. Follow me. (The boys have to double-time to keep up with her pace) 

DEAN  
No small talk? No ‘why investigate suicides? 

REESE  
In the Navy you learn two things: don’t question your orders. (They climb into an elevator and she goes quiet) 

SAM  
What’s the second thing. 

REESE  
Only an idiot doesn’t question orders.

The doors close.

NMPC PORTSMOUTH 

INT. MA2’S HOSPITAL ROOM  
The only sound is the heart monitor, steady and slow. The blinds are drawn and a curtain over them only lets in a murky light. The woman is heavy and pale, her hair is tangled and her face is pock-marked, her wrists bandaged. It is oppressively quiet. 

SAM  
Did you know her?

REESE  
Not really, maybe in passing. But she was like that. (Reese isn’t really looking at her, sort of around her, very uncomfortably) She was—one of those people. She’d talk to you, nice, but she kept to herself. Head down, did the job. I think that was what was important to her. 

SAM  
Lash said she had some problems? 

REESE  
Yeah, it was bullshit. Some asshat took a picture of her naked and showed it around the shack. She took it really hard. I mean he got in trouble for it, but once it’s out there, it’s out there forever. A couple of months later she got busted for a DUI and went to mast, lost rank. She used to be an MA1. They went to bat for her, kept her in, but that’s kind of it for her. 

DEAN  
Jesus

REESE  
The thing is, the way the Navy is, she’s never gonna make it to Chief. She might put on MA1 again, but Chief is politics. So it’s career TKO for her. (She shifts uncomfortably) Can we just—get out of here? 

(They leave the room)  
The hallway is bright and the foot traffic is low, the floor is rubber, and the walls are painted a soothing cream color, benches every ten feet along. 

REESE  
Sorry, I had an—Aunt. It’s just hard to see her like that, and after everything she’s been through. 

SAM  
We understand. So, Reese, you were involved in several of the cases? 

REESE  
I mean I was on-scene, but I wasn’t involved. I helped search for Washington, but I never had any contact with the team that actually found her, but I was there when Lowen was discovered. 

SAM  
Did you notice anything out-of-the-ordinary?

REESE  
You’re gonna have to help me out.

SAM  
Flickering lights, strange smells, cold spots? 

REESE  
With Lowen, I think—she’d been dead for about thirty minutes but—she was ice cold. We thought it was because the windows were open, but it was still really weird. Why?

SAM  
Just doing our due diligence. What about O’Brian? Can you think of anything strange about her case? Anything at all? Think really hard. Maybe a figure that didn’t belong? Or a feeling, a voice in the room? 

REESE  
(Skeptically) A voice.

DEAN  
You were on scene for that one too, weren’t you? 

REESE  
Yeah, I was, and there were a lot of voices…belonging to cops. 

SAM  
No, a voice that didn’t belong to anyone. Or maybe a presence? 

REESE  
Are you asking me about ghosts? Because it’s the weirdest coincidence, Agent Mulder was just here asking me the same questions. 

DEAN  
We at the Naval Criminal Investigation Service keep a very open mind. 

REESE  
No, Agent Harmon, there were no presences in the room other than the presence of sanity. (She starts back towards the elevator) I don’t know if you’re being serious or if this is a joke to you, but a woman that I know is fighting for her life, so if you don’t mind, can you cut the Ghost whisperer crap?

DEAN  
Reese, six people have died, seven, if your friend does, in three weeks, you tell me, does that sound ‘normal’ to you? Now, we’re not saying ghost, but we are saying that there is something going on. (They board the elevator) NCIS didn’t send us here to investigate Washington, they sent us to find the source of this thing and to stop it before it happens again. Now we’re gonna do it, one way or another, but we need help, and I think that’s you. ‘Cause like you said, only and idiot doesn’t question orders, and that’s what it’s going to take to stop this thing. We’re going to have to question everything we think we know, because god damn it, the truth is out there and we’re gonna find it. (He has been building up momentum through his entire speech and Sam has tried to stop him but has given up. Reese slowly turns around, just, flabbergasted, looks at Sam)

SAM  
I—I don’t. (He throws his hands up) Six suicides, one attempt in three weeks. You’ve been doing your job long enough to know that there’s got to be a root cause. Please work with us to stop this from happening again. 

REESE  
Okay. But please, just (she indicates in Dean’s general direction) no more. 

SAM  
(Contritely) Understood.  
They leave the elevator and head towards the exit but Dean stops short when he notices a red door that is unlike all of the others. All along the hallway are non-descript white doors with placards and no handles, this one is red with a brass handle. He makes to open it. 

REESE  
(Putting herself between Dean and the door) What are you doing? 

DEAN  
Uh, big, red door? 

REESE  
Yeah, big, red door that says ‘Authorized Personnel Only? (Points out sign) Idiot says what? 

DEAN  
What? 

SAM  
Sorry about him. 

REESE  
You spend a lot of time apologizing for your partner, don’t you? 

SAM  
It feels like a lifetime. 

REESE  
Alright, on military installations, Agent Harmon, Authorized means, not you. 

DEAN  
Alright, sorry. (Under breath) Touchy.

They continue towards exit. 

EXT. GREAT MOUNTAIN MOTEL  
Two story motel, painted in red and white, well-kept, if a bit old. The Impala is parked outside, it is twilight, and the greenery surrounding it is almost imposingly green. 

INT. MOTEL ROOM  
Two beds, a table by the window, tidy, so they haven’t had time to trash it yet. Trees and forestry with hints of cloud motif. 

SAM  
Alright, so, what are we thinking, ghost? 

Sam slings his messenger bag onto the back of the chair, removing his coat and retrieving his computer. Dean pulls off his coat and tie and flops back onto the bed nearest the door. Sam sits down and opens his computer, entering into research mode. 

DEAN  
I’m thinking a bacon cheeseburger and a beer. C’mon, man, we’ve been working all day! Let’s take a break. I saw a diner two miles up the road. 

SAM  
(Tosses Dean a room service menu) What happened to wrapping this up so we can get back to finding mom and kicking Satan’s ass? 

DEAN  
Food, food happened. You know, that thing that humans need to survive? 

SAM  
Food can be ordered. And besides, that diner looked skeezier than your normal dives, and that’s saying something. Have some standards, dude. 

DEAN  
C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure? We’re a few miles outside of a navy base. Sailors know how to party! 

SAM  
A) My sense of adventure ends with my desire not to contract E.coli, and B) you are a walking stereotype.

DEAN  
Like it, live it, love it. (Sighs, starts flipping through the room service book) Fine, way to suck all the life out of me. Pretty soon I’m gonna be a withered husk just like you. Whaddo what, no wait, let me guess, a…chicken salad, no wait, walk on the wild side, a…chicken sandwich? Or…how about your dignity back? 

SAM  
(Typing and not listening) Surprise me. 

DEAN  
Your dignity would be a surprise.

INT. MOTEL  
A few hours have passed, demolished food and greasy dishes litter the table. It’s dark outside and Sam is still typing at the table. Dean is watching TV from the bed and flipping through Dad’s journal. 

SAM  
Hang on…I think I found something. 

DEAN  
Well I’ll alert President Trump. I’m sure he’ll fly in from Mar-a-Lago. (He swings up from the bed and sits down across from Sam) 

SAM  
Doubtful. So get this, these aren’t the first suicides. 

DEAN  
No kidding? (He scoots around the table and looks over Sam’s shoulder) 

SAM  
This is actually the third set. The first was back in 1917, the year the base was built. The second was in 1967. Ten each time. 

DEAN  
So that, what, every (counts on fingers) fifty years?

SAM  
Yes, Dean, every fifty years. And then—nothing. It’s like this thing shows up, feeds and then disappears. 

DEAN  
Alright, so, the question is: what is it? Any headway? ‘Cause I got jack squat. Seems even he avoided the Lover’s state like the plague. It’s weird. Like what do monsters have against Virginia? 

SAM  
(Frowning)I don’t know. That’s actually—a really good point. There’s nothing about Virginia in dad’s journal? 

DEAN  
Nada.

SAM  
Huh. Anyway, I’m still thinking ghost. A pissed off spook could definitely be doing this. The Lowen body was ice cold and I got a hold of the official police report and the apartment her body was found in was seventy degrees. 

DEAN  
Jeez, turn on the AC. Alright, so any unrelated suicides back in 1917 that could be our ghost?

SAM  
That’s what I’m looking for. Problem is, that was so long ago, it may not be online. I’m thinking tomorrow I may go hit up the libraries or town hall. But, (he sits back) since it’s only on base, whoever our mystery spook is, it’s really got to be someone who died there. I wonder if Norfolk has got an archive of their own. 

DEAN  
I’m sure that someone will be more than happy to tell Agent Weatherly of NCIS. But me? I still think that Reese is our best way in. 

SAM  
It’s dangerous, Dean, you know it is. The more we lie to her, the more we push her for information, the more she’ll get suspicious. She’s not stupid. That speech you gave her might as well have been a beacon. You remember the last time. 

DEAN  
I know, I know, I’ll be careful. But if you do your research thing and I stick to Reese, then we can nail this in a day or two and get back on Mom’s trail.

SAM  
I don’t like it. 

DEAN  
You don’t like contact sports. 

SAM  
They’re pointlessly dangerous for zero reward, why would I want to risk breaking my neck just to run a ball twenty yards down a field? 

DEAN  
Uh, fun? You remember fun, don’t you Sammy? I tried to teach it to you one time. 

SAM  
Okay, this is getting off topic, the point is, just be careful. Reese is helpful, but you know the risks. I could lecture you until I’m blue in the face and it wouldn’t do any good. So you do it your way, I’ll do it mine and hopefully no one’ll die before we can put this thing down. 

DEAN  
That was—way too easy. You feelin’ okay? 

SAM  
(Going back to his computer) Shut up. You’re right, I just want to get back to trying to find Mom. And, honestly, this case…all these people… 

DEAN  
Yeah, I know. Alright, I’m gonna hit the hay. Don’t stay up too late. 

SAM  
Yeah. G’night.

EXT. BEACH – NIGHT  
A woman stands at the edge of the ocean, she is shivering, but wearing a bathing suit. Behind her is a towel and on it are the regular trappings of a day of swimming: sunglasses, suntan lotion, her purse. She is crying, her hair is dry and tied back tightly, her arms tight around herself. 

GHOST (ANDREA’S VOICE)  
It’s alright. It’s the right thing. Monica will be okay. Henry will be okay. They’ll be happy. They’ll be happier without you. (A second Andrea, a ghost version, splits from her, standing behind her)

ANDREA  
THANK YOU

She walks out into the ocean until we lose her in the darkness. 

GHOST  
(Her form flickers from Andrea to Sarah Lacroux, she is crying) I’m so sorry…

END ACT ONE

ACT TWO

INT. NMPC MOR

INT. NMPC

Dean meets Reese in the morgue, a muted hallway painted the palest of green and offers her a coffee in the way of bot greeting and peace offering.

REESE  
Where’s your better half?

DEAN  
Research. The kid loves it. It’s like porn for him. 

REESE  
Thank you for that mental image. What are we doing here? 

DEAN  
We caught another one, a Lieutenant Andrea Huckbe walked into the ocean last night. They’re treating it like an accidental drowning, but I’m not so sure. Recent divorce, husband got custody, financial issues, the whole nine yards. (Hands Reese a photo of the woman in uniform) Thought anymore about the O’Brian case? 

REESE  
I’m telling you, nothing there. It was just a suicide. (They enter the morgue, sterile, tile floor. They are alone, save a single body in the center of the room—Andrea. She is blue and covered to the chest with a sheet) So, uh—not to, belabor the point but—what exactly are we looking for here? 

DEAN  
(Donning gloves and beginning to inspect Andrea’s body head) Anything—out of the ordinary, you know—clues. 

REESE  
Cold spots and flickering lights? 

DEAN  
Something like that—yeah. (Reese moves to stand next to him as Dean begins to look at the cuts and scrapes on Andrea’s hands) So, you’ve been an MA for six years, you ever seen anything like this? 

REESE  
Can’t say I ha…what is that… (something black starts oozing out of Andrea’s ear) 

DEAN  
Are you kidding me? (He grabs a q-tip and gets some, smelling it) Ectoplasm. That’s friggin’ ectoplasm!  
Andrea’s hand twitches and the two of them jump back. Her arm twitches, then her shoulder jerks. Dean drops the q-tip as more ectoplasm starts pouring out of her eyes and ears. Suddenly black “ghost smoke” starts to billow out of her. 

REESE  
What the hell is that?

DEAN  
What the hell do you think it is? (Grabs her hand and pulls her towards the exit. Reese pulls out of her hand and breaks pushes the “BIOHAZARD” alarm) Are you friggin’ kidding me? 

The ghost starts to form into a vaguely human shape as the two of them look back, the whole morgue is shaking. Dean has his gun in hand, firing at it, but it’s useless. 

DEAN  
We gotta run!

REESE  
What about everyone else?

DEAN  
They’ll be fine. Trust me! (Holds his hand out to her, Reese looks back at the ghost who has taken Andrea’s form. After a beat, she takes Dean’s hand and they run) 

INT DINER - EVENING  
It’s a mid-level joint with red booths which probably aren’t too sticky. Dean slides into the booth across from Reese, they’ve both changed into street clothes and are nursing beers and sharing a plate of fries. 

REESE  
So, ghosts. 

DEAN  
Yup. 

REESE  
And NCIS investigates them. 

DEAN  
(Pauses for a moment to consider) No. 

REESE  
Right, because you’re Mark Harmon. 

DEAN  
My name’s Dean, my partner’s Sam. We hunt things like what was in the morgue. And sometimes we have to—lie to get into the places like Norfolk ‘cause if we showed up and said we were there to hunt ghosts they’d lock us up and throw away the key. 

REESE  
Honestly, still weighing my options. (Takes a sip of her beer)  
DEAN  
Appreciate it if you didn’t 

REESE  
(Sets down beer) Alright. Ghosts. 

DEAN  
Salt and burn the bones. Right now Sam’s workin’ on finding out who we’re dealing with. Once we’re done here we’ll put this town in our rearview and never look back. You just gotta put up with me until then, that’s all I ask. 

REESE  
(After a beat) Why me? 

DEAN  
Because you were following orders. 

REESE  
Which makes me an idiot. 

DEAN  
You and me both, sister. (They click bottles) 

REESE  
You said ‘things,’ not ghosts. So that means there’s more than. What the hell else is there?

DEAN  
Believe you mean, you don’t wanna know.

REESE  
I kind of do.

DEAN  
(Sighs)You name it, it’s out there. Everything from—demons to fairies. 

REESE  
Aliens?

DEAN  
Fairies too. Long story. (Dean frowns as the lights in the street outside start to flicker and the houses in the distance seem to waver. He leans into Reese with a renewed vigor) Look, Reese, I know that this is touchy, and I don’t wanna push, but you have to think. The O’Brian thing. Anything could be helpful. Skittering in the walls, a feeling like someone was watching you, anything. 

REESE  
(Darkening) Why are you so fixated on her? All the other cases, you let it go, but O’Brian you harp on. She’s not a part of your weird little X-File. I’m telling you, she doesn’t fit. She was depressed, she had a history. She was looking at a dead end career, she was humiliated, she just wanted it to be over. All the others, they hand things to live for, Huckbe, yeah, divorce, but she had a kid. Lowen had a girlfriend. O’Brian didn’t have shit. She didn’t have a family, didn’t have friends, she was alone. I’m telling you, she did it to herself!

DEAN  
Sorry. I—didn’t mean to hit a nerve. 

REESE  
People are dying and you’re fixated on the wrong clue. Jesus, just—look somewhere else. (Outside the lights along the street are flickering on and off, one or two are popping off) 

DEAN  
I guess I just don’t get it. How someone could…

REESE  
(After a long pause, looking out of the window) Some people are sick. Some people don’t know how else to deal with the pain. There’s a lot of—hurt out there, a lot of cruelty. A lot of people who don’t care enough to help the person next to them, even when they know that they need it. Even when it’s obvious that they’re screaming at the top of their lungs, they’d rather stand by and let them drown. (The last of the streetlights have gone out) Because it’s a lot easier than taking the effort to teach them how to swim. In a lot of ways I feel like I failed O’Brian, I feel like I didn’t do enough to help her. I knew that she was going down the wrong road and I let her. It was just too damned—hard. To hard to reach out and (she pushes away tears. It’s gone very quiet in the restaurant) and now she’s dying and I think that a lot of us have to answer for that. (Subtly, so that we don’t necessarily notice it, outside, the world is shrinking, it is getting darker, or maybe the buildings are just disappearing) That I have to answer for that. So I guess I’m on board with this ghost thing, I just—I want to—save the next person from that—pain. From what O’Brian felt. Because you can’t imagine what that—(there is a low rumble, very very subtle, cutting Reese off, Dean takes her hand and smiles and the rumbling slowly tapers off)

DEAN  
I know. And from everything I’ve heard about her, I think she’s a fighter, O’Brian. So I think she’ll pull through. (Reese smiles sadly) 

MANAGER  
It’s alright everyone, what we just experienced was a mild earthquake. Everything is fine, please, continue to enjoy your dinner. 

REESE  
(Pushes away her tears) I’m going to—hit the head. I’ll be right back. Order me another beer?

DEAN  
You got it. 

Dean sits back, closes his eyes and concentrates really hard on something. Opening his eyes, he looks around and sighs. Then his eyes fall on the same red door he saw in the hospital, only this time there is a latch with a padlock on it marked “US NAVY” and it’s paint is peeling. He gets up and walks over to investigate.

MANAGER  
(With a smile, but slightly hostile) Sir, can I help you? 

DEAN  
Yeah, what’s with the door? 

MANAGER  
It’s a private area, only accessible to a select clientele. If you could please return to your table? 

DEAN  
Select clientele? Buddy, this ain’t exactly the Ritz. 

CUSTOMER #1  
This guy giving you trouble, Ryan?

MANAGER  
He’s asking about the “private area.” 

CUSTOMER #1  
Hey, why don’t you just mind your own business, man. Stop asking questions don’t concern you.

DEAN  
Whoa, I’m not tryin’ to start anything, I’m just wondering what’s behind the door, that’s all. 

MANAGER  
(Taking a step towards Dean) It’s none of your business, young man. I think it’s time for you to leave, do you understand? 

REESE  
Dean? What’s going on?

MANAGER  
I was just explaining to your friend that not every area of the restaurant is open to all members of the public, Miss. I caught him trying to—access a restricted area.

DEAN  
Hang on there, that’s not—

REESE  
I’m sorry, sir. He has a problem with ‘do not enter signs.’ (She takes Dean’s arm)

MANAGER  
Of course, we understand. Just—don’t let it happen again. 

REESE  
Thank you (steers Dean away) Seriously? I can’t leave you alone for four minutes? 

DEAN  
I wasn’t doing anything!

REESE  
You know what? Let’s just get out of here, okay? I’ve got to get back anyway. Jesus, it’s like herding cats with you.

EXT. LOWEN’S BARRACKS ROOM  
Sam pockets a ring of keys and walks up to the door, looking around for anyone who might see him. Feeling secure that no one is around, he starts jimmying the lock. Finally, the door swings open. 

INT. BARRACKS ROOM  
We know it’s Lowen’s because of the same art on the wall and the same stains on the carpet. It’s been cleaned out of personal effects, but it’s definitely hers. Sam pulls a flashlight out of his coat pocket and clicks it on. 

SAM  
Hello Melissa Lowen.  
Sam begins to investigate the room, not finding much. He opens the drawers, but they’ve been cleaned, out, the closets are empty. He listens at the bathroom door before he opens it. We can hear that the person in the other barrack’s room is in so he makes quick work of looking around the bathroom before he locks the bathroom door from his side. He stands in Lowen’s barrack’s room, seemingly giving up with a sigh. 

SAM  
Whoever you were, I’m sorry this happened to you. No one deserves this. (He clicks the flashlight off and makes to leave, opening the door, but, as he opens the door and the light from the streetlight floods in, he sees the carpet is torn up a bit and there is something written in blood underneath)  
Sam closes the door and he goes across the room, making sure that the curtain is firmly shut. He then finds towels in the closet and uses them to cover the crack under the bathroom door. Then he turns on the lights in the room. Kneeling down he Tears up the carpet.  
“I’m sorry” and “I didn’t want to” is written in blood over and over and over again. 

TEXAS – DAY  
On a ranch with all the fixins, in the bright sunlight, far away from anything dark or Supernatural the telephone rings. 

JESSE  
Can you grab that?

CESAR  
I got it! (Picks up the phone) Hello? 

SAM  
Hey, Cesar?

CESAR  
Sam? Sam Winchester? (Jesse appears beside him and mouths Sam’s name, Cesar nods) How the hell you been. Wait…what’s wrong? 

SAM  
(Laughs nervously) Hey, I know you guys are out of the business, but I was hoping that I could ask you for your opinion. I’ve—got a weird one. 

CESAR  
Yeah, yeah, let me put you on speaker. (Puts the phone on speaker and puts it on the table as he and Jesse sit down on next to each other and hold hands) 

JESSE  
Hey, Sam.

SAM  
Hey, Jesse. How are you?

JESSE  
Better ten minutes ago. What do you got? 

SAM  
Yeah, sorry about this, but I don’t—I don’t really have anyone else to ask. Uh, it’s a ghost, or a spirit of some kind. And it’s—it’s making people kill themselves, but—I don’t know, it’s—like it feels remorse? At first we thought that all of the victims were unrelated, but we were wrong. I’ve been doing some digging and they were all vulnerable. Divorce, financial troubles, that kind of thing. 

CESAR  
That is weird. But they’re killing themselves? 

SAM  
Yeah, as far as we can tell. And I’ve been everywhere this ghost has been, and—no aggression. I even managed to dig up a name—Sarah Lacoux. She was the daughter of a Naval Captain, George Lacoux, at Norfolk Navy Base…

JESSE  
(Scooting back in his chair suddenly, Cesar looking at him with surprise) Wait, you’re telling me you’re in Virginia? With Dean?

SAM  
Uh—yeah? That’s where this thing is.

CESAR  
Babe, what’s wrong?

JESSE  
Sam, you got to get your brother and get the hell out of there. You’re not dealing with a ghost, you’re dealing with a Wraith, and you can bet your ass that it’ll come after Dean in a heartbeat. 

SAM  
What the hell is a Wraith?

CESAR  
Really rare, you barely ever hear of them. They’re vengeful ghosts, but—unwillingly. They don’t want to kill, but they do. No one knows why. Every one does it different, your girl committed suicide, so she makes her victims commit suicide. Sam, Jesse’s right, if she’s going after vulnerable people, Dean’s right up her ally. 

JESSE  
There’s a reason Hunters avoid Virginia, man. Virginia is Wraith stomping ground. Hell, even Monsters avoid Virginia. You think most monsters want to kill? It’s just who they are. Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. Virginia. 

SAM  
(Pausing) I can’t. Dean’s—being Dean. He’s—got himself caught up in something right now. 

JESSE  
Jesus. Do you need us to come out there? (He exchanges a look with Cesar)

SAM  
No, no, just—thanks. Last thing—any idea how to take these things out? 

CESAR  
No. That’s why they’re so dangerous. 

JESSE  
Hunter I know, Gavin, he managed to trap one once. He used a binding ritual. Shoot me your e-mail, I’ll send you the text. But you’re going to have to find something personal of hers. 

SAM  
Got it. Hey, guys? Thank you. 

CESAR  
Any time. 

JESSE  
Except on Sunday. Or after nine o’clock. Or before nine o’clock. 

SAM  
(Laughing) Got it. 

JESSE  
But seriously, as soon as you can get to him? Get Dean out of there. And another thing? Most of the time, Wraiths won’t attack until the victim is alone. So as much as possible—stick by your brother. He might play big tough guy, but if it’s a pick between the two of you—she’s coming after Dean. 

INT. SAM AND DEAN’S MOTEL ROOM  
Sam is sitting at the motel room table, he’s got his lap top open and there is a picture of Sara Lacroux on it along with a 1917 article about her death. Sam looks across the motel room and we see someone’s booted feet on the bed closest the door and, just barely, a half-drunk glass of yellow tea. 

SAM  
I know. 

CESAR  
And don’t let Dean out of your sight.

SAM  
Believe me, I won’t. (Hangs up the phone)  
Sam types his email address and sends it and sets his phone aside, starts typing into his computer. 

SAM  
(Under his breath) Not for a second. 

INT IMPALA - NIGHT  
Dean and Reese are in the Impala, Reese is staring out the window into complete blackness, lit only by the headlights on the road and the occasional streetlight, melancholy yellow globes, flickering wanly. The buildings are ghostly and seem to shimmer as the car floats by. Dean looks over at her with a worried look on his face while gripping the steering wheel and making an almost constipated look. 

REESE  
What?

DEAN  
What?

REESE  
What that what? You keep looking at me? And I swear to god if you ask me about O’Brian again I will punch you squarely in the nose and ruin your obnoxiously good looks. 

DEAN  
Alright, message received. (He looks back and forth between the street and her and then squeezes his eyes shut for a minute, shakes himself and sighs) 

REESE  
What is that, what you’re doing?

DEAN  
Nothing, just—tired. Hey, you know, you’re taking this really well. The whole—ghost and Supernatural of it all. 

REESE  
We at the United States Navy keep a very open mind. No, but—I guess I always wanted to believe in something—more. Magic, all that jazz. Gives me something to live for.  
They pull into a the barracks parking lot and Dean turns Baby off, they unbuckle but stay in the car. 

DEAN  
Kinda makes you wish that O’Brian had that, huh? 

REESE  
Jesus, and there it is again with O’Brian! Just, leave off, okay? (She gets out of the car and slams the door with more force than necessary. There is a low rumbling) 

DEAN  
(Gets out of the car, worried look on his face) Reese, calm down, okay, I’m sorry. I’m just saying that there’s so much out there to live for, that’s all. 

REESE  
Don’t you think I know that now? I mean ghosts! And fairies and hunters and—everything! But O’Brian, can we just—not talk about her? Please?

DEAN  
Alright, you got it, okay? We won’t talk about her. 

REESE  
No, you know, you say that, but you keep bringing her up again and again and again! It’s like no matter how many times I tell you not to, you can’t help yourself! (The rumbling gets worse and worse) She just killed herself! Sometimes people die! There doesn’t have to be a reason! (She’s crying now) So stop looking! Stop asking questions!  
The street lights start brightening and flickering and popping with electricity. There are a few bystanders who duck for cover. Black smoke starts billowing around Dean and  
Reese. 

DEAN  
Reese, you have to calm down!

REESE  
No, I’m done being calm! I’ve been calm all day with you, but I’m done!  
The bystanders start getting angry and Dean looks back at them, reaching for his gun. 

REESE  
O’Brian isn’t a clue! Stop investigating her! Stop poking at her! Just let me die!  
The smoke coalesces around one of the bystanders, a rover with a gun. He starts shooting at Reese and Dean. Dean grabs Reese and they throw themselves behind the Impala, both wincing as a bullet smashes through the rear windows. 

REESE  
What do we do? 

DEAN  
You can stop this!

REESE  
No I can’t! (Another bullet narrowly misses Dean and the possessed man advances on them) (They run for the barracks rooms, ducking behind a brick column)

DEAN  
Then…run! (They run for the barracks rooms, ducking behind a brick column)Listen to me, you have to concentrate, you know you can… (a bullet slams into Dean’s shoulder, he drops his gun and holds onto his shoulder)  
It’s then that we see that the door in front of them is the red door. All of the others are white and normal, but the one through which they can find safety is the one that Reese has been avoiding. 

REESE  
We can’t! That one! (She indicates another door, her hand over Dean’s who is bleeding profusely) 

DEAN  
Are you kidding me? (The column explodes as another bullet hits) 

REESE  
Please don’t make me. 

DEAN  
I’m sorry. (He grabs her and through the red door they go)

INT. APARTMENT – INDETERMANENT TIME  
There is no color, drab, almost black and white, oppressively silent. The walls are bare, the television is on, casting changing shadows. There are stacks of papers, books, discarded food containers. It’s not dirty, just—messy. And on the edge of a slouching couch: Reese. Not as she is now, somewhere between the woman standing next to Dean and the woman in the hospital room. She is pale, sunken, heavier, curled in on herself, and drinking. The Reese beside Dean has gone completely slack. 

DEAN  
It’s not real. (Reese doesn’t seem to hear him)  
On the wall behind Reese, like the reel of an old film, half over exposed, a club, drinking in excess, Reese, like she is now, dancing, drinking, the film is silent and manic.  
The other Reese is sitting on the couch, staring at the television, drinking.  
The Reese at the club is doing shots, there is a man paying too much attention to her.  
Reese drinks.  
The man in the film helps a half-conscious, stumbling Reese to his car, into her apartment. She is almost unconscious when he undresses her, kisses her, touchers her, takes pictures of her.  
Reese smokes a cigarette.  
The man shows the pictures to everyone at her precinct. 

DEAN  
It wasn’t your fault. (He tries to touch her shoulder, but his hand passes through her like smoke.  
The Reese on the couch gets up and walks to the bathroom, our Reese follows like a zombie, Dean in tow. Reese looks at herself in the mirror and sees the woman from the hospital bed, heavier, pock marked, ugly, unwanted. This is the woman she sees every day, the way she sees herself, how she thinks the world sees her. How the man has made her feel. How the people at work has made her feel. Gone is her confidence. Gone is the beautiful woman she was. Gone. She cries, silently.  
And then there is the razor blade. And the blood. There is no hesitation and Dean can’t watch. 

DEAN  
O’Brian, look at me. 

MA2 REESE O’BRIAN  
I know who you are. You’re Dean. Sam’s not your partner, he’s your brother. I know everything about you. I read your books. (Realization dawns) Thank you for staying with me. It was fun, playing hunter. Hunting ghosts, it—took my mind off…but I know it’s not real. It was just a way for me to distract myself and I think…I think it’s time for me to go now. (She’s crying, but smiling) And that’s okay. Sometimes it’s just people’s time. And it’s okay. Really, it is…

DEAN  
(Dean grabs her by the shoulders) What? No! Reese, listen to me. I’m real, this, this is real. If you read the books, you know what Dream Root is. You’re in a coma in the hospital and I’m in your head. Sam and I are chasing this ghost and we thought you were one of it’s victims, but I stayed too long and I’m trapped! I don’t know if it’s because you’re dying or because you’re holdin’ on to me, but I can’t get out, so if you go, I go too!

REESE  
That’s not possible…

DEAN  
There’s no way I can prove it, but if I am fictional then that means that there’s a part of you that’s fightin’ to live and you picked the most stubborn son of a bitch on the planet to convince you to keep going. Reese, I know that you got dealt a shit hand there’s no way for me to understand what you been through, but you can’t give up. This world is full of the worst crap imaginable, but it’s also got—beer and roller coasters and sex and—Led Zepplin. There’s so much more than just the worst day of your life, and believe me, I’ve been through the grinder. Even when I was fightin’ Apocalypse, even when it looked like there was nothin’ I could do but let Michael ride my ass to the finish line, even when I knew there was no way in hell that I could beat em’, what’d I do?

REESE  
Fought.

DEAN  
Your damn right I fought. I got my ass handed to me, but I fought on my terms and I—kinda won. ‘Cause you can’t give up, that ain’t an option. You always keep fighting right up until you got nothin’ left in you, and then you find someone to fight for you. And you may’ve given in, but you’re not dead yet, and that makes you a fighter, like me. And fighters keep swinging until every bone is broken, and then we kick. ‘Cause no matter what the world throws at you, no matter how bad it gets, how many douchebags and assholes we’re up against, you know the one thing they can’t take? What you keep fighting for? Tomorrow. No one can take away your tomorrow but you. You can lose hope, you can lose freedom, you can lose everything you got, but tomorrows? Those are free. So you gotta decide right now, what Reese you wanna be? You want to be the Reese that gave up? Or do you want to be Reese the fighter? Because I’ve only known you a few days and I think you got a hell of a lot of fighting left in you. 

REESE  
(Crying) I want to fight.

DEAN  
Alright, kiddo, then listen to me, ‘cause this is the most important thing I’ve said all day. You’re gonna need to dig deep and WAKE UP!

ACT THREE

INT. NMPC - DAY  
Reese’s hospital room, like the one in the dream, only brighter and more cheerful. She is alone. Reese’s eyes fly open. She is like the woman on the couch, only not as sallow or shrunken. Somewhere between the Reese we’ve been seeing in the dream world and the woman on the couch. 

INT. SAM AND DEAN’S MOTEL ROOM – DAY  
The curtains are drawn and Sam is at the table on his computer, Dean is on his bed, prostrate, his eyes fly open and he gasps, sitting up and drawing in a lungful of air. Sam jumps up an runs to him, throwing his arms around him stilling his flailing. 

DEAN  
H—how long—?

SAM  
Two days. You had me really worried. Here, drink this. (Hands him a bottle of water. Dean gulps it down and starts to choke) Not so fast. Here, slowly! (Gives him a protein bar. 

DEAN  
Jesus Christ, never has cardboard tasted so good. Never let me do that again. 

SAM  
(After letting Dean finish what he can of the protein bar) Well? Did you find anything? 

DEAN  
She’s not a vic. (Smiling) Tough as nails though. Been through hell. 

SAM  
You like her. 

DEAN  
Not at first, but yeah. I think she’s awake. I want to check on her. 

SAM  
You sure that’s a good idea?

DEAN  
(Sitting up with difficulty) You kidding me? I’ve spent more time in that woman than…

SAM  
Gross. You were in her coma dream, Dean, don’t you think you’re going to freak her out a little bit? 

DEAN  
She knows. 

SAM  
(Helping Dean to stand up but not paying attention to where they are heading) What do you mean she knows? 

DEAN  
You gonna follow me into the bathroom? (Sam detaches and Dean shouts through the closed door as he pees) She read the books, man, she knows Supernatural. She dreamed about the ghost and everything, I told her about the dream root. (Toilet flushes) I mean she’ll freak when we show up but. (Dean exits the bathroom and walks back into the motel room) I want to make sure she’s alright. I’m attached. (He starts to eat the protein bar again) 

SAM  
Wash your hands, man. 

DEAN  
(Through a mouthful of cardboard) Germs make me big and strong. 

SAM  
And disgusting. 

DEAN  
(Notices the six, silver straight razors around Sam’s computer) Starting a Jack the Ripper fan club? 

SAM  
No, they’re for Sara Lacroux. 

DEAN  
Sara Lawhat?

SAM  
Sara Lacroux. Our mystery spook. I found her. And that’s not all. 

INT NMPC HALLWAY OUTSIDE RESSE’S HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY  
Sam and Dean wait outside of Reese’s hospital room as the nurse take her vitals. Sam has flowers and looks nervous.

NURSE  
(Exits room) You can see her now, but Agents, if she shows any sign of fatigue, or any sign of suicidal behavior…

SAM  
Yes ma’am, we have extensive suicide awareness training at NCIS. We know the signs and how to handle them. (He smiles and puts the nurse at ease) 

INT. REESE’S HOSPITAL ROOM  
Dean enters first, the blinds are drawn, but otherwise the room is cheerful. There are no cards, no other flowers, no sign that anyone has been to see her. She is on her side away from them, pale but otherwise healthy looking. 

DEAN  
Uh—Reese?

REESE  
(She gives a start or recognition at his voice then turns, slowly, her eyes wide when she sees him, silent for a long minute) So, ghosts? 

DEAN  
Real. 

REESE  
All of it? 

SAM  
All of it. And more. It’s nice to see you again, Miss O’Brian. We wanted to come and see how you were doing. Oh, I hope you like sunflowers. (He smiles and sets the flowers on the table next to her bed) 

REESE  
How I was—is he serious? 

DEAN  
Compulsively. 

REESE  
Ghosts.

DEAN  
Demons. 

REESE  
Jesus. 

DEAN  
Haven’t met him, but we did meet God. Nice guy, kind of a slob. 

REESE  
I don’t. I can’t…

SAM  
You’ll get there eventually. Anyway, we’re glad you’re feeling better. We don’t want to tire you out, I’m sure you’re exhausted… 

REESE  
What? No! (She sits up) You don’t get to waltz in out of my books and tell me ghosts and nightmares are real and then leave! That’s not how this works!

SAM  
I don’t know what else you want…

REESE  
The case! Have you found the ghost yet? Have you stopped it? 

DEAN  
We’re working on it. 

REESE  
Well that’s not good enough. Salt and burn the bones, do you know whose bones? 

SAM  
A girl named Sara Lacroux. 

REESE  
(Laughs) Sara Lacoux? As in daughter of Captain Lacoux? 

SAM  
You know who she is? 

REESE  
He was a plankowner of Norfolk! Alright, so, what next? You dig her up and lighter her on fire, right? 

SAM  
Un, no, actually, she was cremated. Are you sure you want to—(Reese fixes him with a look) alright, so in this case we’d try and find remains. But she’s not a ghost. 

REESE  
You said ghost.

DEAN  
I was wrong. 

SAM  
She’s a Wraith, a sort of—unwilling vengeful spirit. No one knows how they’re made, they just are, and most of them are in Virginia.

REESE  
That explains so much. 

SAM  
We haven’t been able to find a way to stop her, but we did find a way to bind her. 

REESE  
So how are you going to find her?

DEAN  
Well, Norfolk is her stomping ground, we’re gonna stake it out. 

REESE  
So, that’ll work. Just start knocking on doors and asking everyone if they feeling particularly frowny face. Look, I you two are one plot hole away from being the human embodiment of a Dan Brown novel, but please, you’re standing in front of the living embodiment of ‘pick me, pick me!’ 

SAM  
Reese…

REESE  
SAM. Don’t argue with me. It’s like Dean said, Someone once told me I’m a fighter so, basically…don’t make me fight you.

DEAN  
(Smiles) My money’s on you, kid. 

SAM  
Are you sure? I could be dangerous.

REESE  
I’ll wear a helmet. 

DEAN  
Alright, then it’s settled. Lets go bust some ghosts. 

REESE  
Uh, just one problem? (Indicates the hospital)

SAM  
Believe us, we’ve busted out of much harder places than this. 

Cut scene of the three of them running down the hall with Reese dressed as a nurse. 

EXT. BARRACKS ROOM – TWILIGHT 

The Impala slides into an empty parking spot and the engine turns off. 

INT. IMPALA

Reese is in the back seat, asleep, still in scrubs. Dean twists in his seat to get a look at her, Sam makes the “quiet” gesture. 

REESE  
I’m awake, your engine is about as subtle as thunder. 

DEAN  
Hey, insult me all you want, but don’t knock Baby. 

REESE  
What is it with guys and cars? Jesus, you treat them better than women. (They get out of the Impala and Sam gets the supplies out of the trunk while Dean jimmies the lock of Lowen’s barracks room) 

INT. LOWEN’S BARRACK’S ROOM  
We are familiar with it now that we’ve seen it twice, only there is a card table set up in the middle of the space and the bed has been pushed against the wall to accommodate. 

REESE  
So what now? We throw on the Curse and feel our feelings? 

SAM  
Something like that. You hungry? Thirsty? I brought water, a couple of power bars (Dean mouths “cardboard”) a banana. 

DEAN  
Killing you with kindness.

REESE  
I’m fine. Can I help with the hoodoo?

SAM  
Uh, no, we just have to do the ritual and wait.  
Sam begins to carve symbols into the table as Reese watches over his shoulder, Dean sits on the bed and eats the banana. Sam places the candles around a bowl in the center or the table. 

REESE  
You don’t have to be a Shaman or something to do this? 

SAM  
(He puts herbs and flowers and a bird skull in the bowl) No, most of these all you have to do is say the right thing and have the right ingredients and it’s basically plug and play. (He lights the candle and Reese joins Dean on the bed) Alright, good to go. (He begins the ritual and lights all the ingredients on fire, at the culmination, he drops the razor into the mix. It flares up and then goes out. The bowl is empty save the straight razor) 

DEAN  
(To Reese) Loves this stuff. 

SAM  
Alright, we’re good. Now all we have to do is “plunge the sacred object into the heart of the angry spirit and it will be trapped within its confines for all of time.” 

REESE  
What  
could go wrong?

DEAN  
Who wants to watch TV?

INT. BARRACKS ROOM – HOURS LATER  
Dean is asleep on the love seat and Sam is slumped over the card table. Reese is curled up on the bed, all three dead to the world. Smoke begins to curl under the door and Dean’s breath crystalizes as the temperature drops, Sam shivers. Sam’s eyes flutter open, he is shivering, and he sees Reese standing in the center of the room, her head cocked to the side, her back towards him. He sees the smoke around her, realizing what is happening. She is holding the razor and he tries to move, but can’t. Sam looks to Dean, who is awake, but also can’t move.  
Reese walks like she is still asleep, stiff, to the mirror, it can be seen from both brother’s positions. She turns on the overhead light and looks at herself, her expression is blank. Both brothers are straining to move. Her form seems to shiver and a second Reese detaches, back to back. A tear of ectoplasm leaks from the real Reese’s eye.

GHOST  
It was your fault. All of it. If you didn’t drink so much. Dad was right, you’re an idiot, you deserved what he did to you. (Reese pulls the bandages off of her wrists) You deserved the DUI. You—you failed. You failed everyone. Look at yourself. It’s just—it’s better this way. At least you can say you did one thing right. (Reese looks down at the stitches in her wrists) The pain’ll just be—gone. It’ll be over. Everything’ll be over. No one’ll be laughing at you anymore. I’m so tired of fighting it. (Reese and the ghost turn to face each other) Aren’t you tired? 

REESE  
(They look at each other for a long moment and then—Reese drops the razor. She cups the ghost’s face and smiles) I forgive you.  
Reese hugs the ghost. The ghost doesn’t react for a long minute, and then—slowly, hugs her back. She flickers, and then she is Andrea Huckbe, then she is Mary Washington, then Maria Lowen and so forth, back through each iteration of person she has killed until finally she is Sara Lacroux, the 15 year old girl from 1917. She steps away from Reese, almost completely solid. And smiles. 

SARA LACOUX  
Thank you. (Her chest lights up and she dissipates brightly)  
The invisible force holding Sam and Dean disappears and Dean runs to Reese, throwing his arms around her, her knees go weak and she lets him hold her.  
[Scene description]

DEAN  
I got you, Reese.  
REESE  
My friends call me Rio. 

INT. NMPC 5E INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH  
FRONT DESK/VISITING AREA – MORNING  
It’s a brightly lit, almost manically welcoming setting, clinically clean and buzzing with nurses, doctors, and corpsmen. Every piece of furniture not bolted to the ground is so heavy that it takes every ounce or over-medicated strength to move it. Sam and Dean stand in front of Reese who now wears bright pink scrubs and smiles at them placidly. 

DEAN  
You gonna be okay, kiddo?

RIO  
Yeah, I’ve got my tomorrow, right? (Sam frowns, not understanding the reference) You had to be there, Sammy. 

DEAN  
Three hots and a cot, huh? Not bad. 

RIO  
And maybe I’ll get released early for good behavior. I mean I can’t tell them I was out saving ghosts, then I’d never leave. Maybe when I get discharged I can get into the family biz, though I’ll have to tweak the slogan a bit. ‘Saving people, saving things’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

SAM  
I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Here (hands her a folded piece of paper) It’s our emergency number. We change burners, but that’s permanent. Call us if you need anything. 

RIO  
Winchester hotline, sweet. I’ll try not to drunk dial you too often. 

SAM  
Hey, Rio, not to pry, but we’ve met some of our other fans and—you don’t exactly fit the profile. 

RIO  
Hey, book, cover. No, but Supernatural, don’t get me wrong, it isn’t gonna win any Pulitzers, but I don’t know…it’s about hope. And…the Mountain King and the Wind. 

SAM  
Don’t know that one.

RIO  
The Wind tries to take on the Mountain and the King laughs and says: you shall never defeat me. But, in the end, the wind will always be while the mountain, one day will only be dust carried on its wings. (Dean and Sam look at her blankly) 

DEAN  
Dude, did she just call us windbags?

SAM  
I think she just called you a windbag. 

REESE  
I’m not calling either of you windbags. Think about it, young Padawans, one day you’ll understand. 

DEAN  
You’re a weird chick, you know that (hugs her) 

REESE  
I’ve been called worse by better. 

SAM  
Be kind to yourself. (Hugs her and kisses her temple) 

RIO  
You too. And take care of your brother—if you can. 

SAM  
I’ll try. 

Rio watches them leave, the color ebbing around the edges of her vision as they go, the sound slowly muting, their voices still the most vibrant thing in her ears, that and the sound of her heart, and her breathing. The further they get, the color shrinks around them. 

DEAN  
She’ll be alright, right? 

SAM  
Yeah, she’ll be fine. She’s tough. 

DEAN  
(After a beat of silence, stops in his tracks) Wait…did she just say that Supernatural blows? (They continue walking)

RIO  
(With a small smile) And there it is. 

The color continues to drain from the frame until only Dean and Sam remain in full color and only her heart and breath can be heard. When they disappear through the door, the world is in near black and white. She remains very still as the world buzzes around her, quietly, quietly. The magic is gone. She blinks once, twice, no one talks to her, notices her, just another broken girl with bandages on her wrists and no stories to tell. Another breathing organism to fill the negative space.  
She closes her eyes, reaches deep down inside for that las spark, not hope, because she didn’t have that anymore, not dignity, he’d taken that. Not love, definitely not magic, that’d left with the Winchesters. Just that one thing, that one indefinable thing that no one could ever take away from her. 

RIO  
(In a whispered voice) Tomorrow 

She smiles, opens her eyes and the color comes flooding back in. 

FIN.


End file.
